Reflections
by Jffa
Summary: This episode is just a regular "day-at-the-office" episode, with one difference - a fluke set of cancellations leave the Senior staffers with nothing to do for a day...


"Reflections"  
  
Stand-alone episode.  
  
Summary: This episode is just a regular "day-at-the-office" episode, with one difference - a fluke set of cancellations leave the Senior staffers with nothing to do for a day...  
  
Disclaimer: These characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin / NBC. There's nothing really controversial, apart from beer (which is included in a factual context), and maybe the odd curse later on, but nothing severe.  
  
Feedback: Yes please! This is my first ever attempt at fanfic, so be nice. ;)  
  
Spoilers: Some minor Season 5 spoilers, and possibly some others - I haven't decided yet.  
  
Timeline: This episode doesn't fit into a particular episode timeline in terms of continuity, but for the sake of characters, I'll place it somewhere in Season 5.  
  
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"12 million dollars."  
  
Josh looked up.  
  
"I'm sorry?"  
  
"12 million dollars, Josh!"  
  
"I'm not quite-"  
  
"12 million dollars to fund research into the potential trade benefits of increased rates of alcohol fermentation?"  
  
"Congressman, I know this isn't exactly-"  
  
"It's researching how much money we get if we make more cheese!"  
  
"And beer, which is something I think most of your constituents would have no problem getting more of!"  
  
"Surprising as it may sound, but I don't get many complaints about not being able to get hold of beer!"  
  
"But you get some, right?"  
  
"That's not the p-"  
  
"It's exactly the point! Make more beer and it'll be cheaper, there'll be more jobs in the beer-producing factories - which, I hasten to add, are badly needed in your district, and-"  
  
"Did you bring me here to waste my time listening to an economics lesson?"  
  
"First of all Congressman, no, I didn't bring you here, you asked for this meeting. Second of all, you know exactly how this process works! This stuff gets added, and if we want appropriations to green-light it, we need to make a few concessions-"  
  
Donna knocks on the door to the Mural room.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"-here and there. I'm sorry, but I'm late for a meeting with the Prime Minister of Zambia."  
  
"Thankyou for your time, Mr. Lyman."  
  
Josh shakes hands with the Congressman and walks out with Donna.  
  
"Donna, you just rescued me from perhaps the stupidest meeting I've had all week. How can I ever repay you?"  
  
"There is no Zambian Prime Minister."  
  
"I know that, I was..."  
  
Josh stops and gives Donna the death stare.  
  
"... did you want something?"  
  
"Sort of."  
  
Josh starts walking and Donna follows him, and opens up a file she's been carrying.  
  
"Guess what?"  
  
"The Prime Minister of Zambia wants an official apology ?"  
  
"President!"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Anyway, I was checking your schedule, and guess what?"  
  
"What is this, twenty questions? Tell me-"  
  
"-You don't have anything on your schedule today."  
  
"Donna, that could not be further from the truth if it was an... anti-truth magnet! I have a meeting with the NAACP-"  
  
"They had to cancel, apparently one of the interns made a scheduling error."  
  
"Okay. Senate minority-"  
  
"Family emergency."  
  
"ACLU?"  
  
"They had some transportation problems."  
  
"What kind of transportation problems?"  
  
"They got on the wrong train."  
  
"So you mean they had navigation problems?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Josh stops walking.  
  
"So this means-"  
  
"-that you have no meetings today.", Donna finishes.  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Wow. This is... unprecedented. You mean every single one of my meetings today has been cancelled?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"I've gotta find Toby..."  
  
Josh walks to Toby's office and knocks on the door. He walks in to find Toby with his assistant, Rina.  
  
"Josh, I have just been told the most ridiculous thing."  
  
"Your schedule's empty?"  
  
"How did you- you too?"  
  
"Yeah, it's pretty weird."  
  
"Peculiar works too."  
  
"As does unorthodox."  
  
"And serendipity."  
  
Donna and Rina sigh.  
  
"Guys, impressive as your splendidly substantive schooling in superlatives is, it is strikingly superflous."  
  
Josh and Toby turn to face each other.  
  
"See what she did there?" Josh asks Toby.  
  
"I think we may have ourselves a disputant." 


End file.
